Letters to Twilight i<3vampires

Wanna talk about your kids? Wanna talk about how your man will never live up to Rob? Wanna talk about your final you will fail b/c instead of studying you read "Wide Awake?" Wanna give virtual hugs to some new friends? Do that here- in Rob's flat- the home of daily hang-outs (BYOH- bring your own Heineken)

Ok, I know some of you people have seen Catching Fire. What did everyone think?!

I could still be on the movie high, but I think it was even better done than the first one. As much as I questioned some of the casting I thought everyone did a fantastic job and I can't imagine anyone would continue to question Peeta's casting after this. I thought he was perfect. Finnick was perfect. Wiress was perfect (but she's really good at playing those twitchy characters), Mags was perfect. Victor's Village was perfect. The riot in District 11 was perfect. What they did with the Jabber Jays was perfect and I'm so glad they didn't cop out on that. And the monkeys were SO much better than the wolves from the last movie. Cinna's capture was so brutal and horrifying. The only thing I didn't really care for was how CGI the mockingjay dress looked, but I'm not going to hold that against them too much. Even the poison gas leaching out of their skin looked real. I loved how you could tell that the other Tributes/Victors were disgusted by this whole thing and how they didn't know what to make of the 'fake' romance when it's so obvious how much Katpee cares for one another.

My only real complaint is that they styled Beetee to look like Tobias Funke and I just can't take him seriously.

I thought Catching Fire was very well done (though, in full disclosure, I had to leave 2 or 3 times to go pee during the movie so missed a couple bits).

I agree with the casting choices. I don't understand the Peeta hate. I think Josh is a great Peeta. I was unsure of Finnick because I LOVE him but was trying to be neutral until I saw his performance and I thought he did well. I was more wary of the casting for Joanna but I ended up thinking she did pretty well. I felt bad that Miranda from Sex & the City's housekeeper/Nanny got reaped (Mags).

I totally cried when Katniss & Peeta addressed the families of the tributes in District 11, especially Rue's and then with them killing the old man.

My only issue is not with the movie but with my husband. When Peeta painted a picture of Rue during the personal evaluation before the games I whispered to Mr M, "THAT'S why we're Team Peeta and THAT'S why we are raising our daughter Teem Peeta!" (He's Teem Gale.)

I found myself being all, mmmmmmmm uh oh when things were foreshadowed for the 3rd book/movie.

Okay, I saw this on Thursday night at the 8pm "midnight" showing. I feel like I need to see it again, I can't remember it.

I'll start with cons because the list is shorter:- Like any 2nd movie/book of a trilogy, I didn't like being just thrown into it and then abruptly ending. But, that isn't really the movie's fault. - It was SO faithful that it was almost too...much. Like I felt like the director sacrificed pacing and making a normal-feeling movie for the sake of staying true to the book. Thinking back, it felt like I ran for two and a half hours and a lot of what I remember is fuzzy. It was just SO full of everything without any breaks.

- Without Peeta having an artificial leg slowing him down, he really seemed like a useless turd in the arena.

Pros:- Holy shit. That has to be THE most faithful adaptation of any book ever. I mean, they got EVERYTHING didn't they? The only they missed was hinting at District 13 but I also think it was a bigger reveal at the end. (Con, I feel like that HUGE revelation was lost with all the other revelations and then END. I wish it could have been more...absorb-able)

- Jennifer Lawrence is my QUEEN! I love that she brought Katniss' sense of humor to the movie and PTSD. I feel like non-essential personality traits get pushed aside in movies for the sake of plot (*coughEdwardcough*). She is sooooo good. And I believed her falling for Peeta a bit in the movie waaaay more than the books. But I also bought that kissing Gale was natural too. Jennifer can act it better than Suzanne Collins can write it.

- Her faaace

- Josh IS Peeta. He is charming and sweet and honest and loving and you just BELIEVE that he loves Katniss without saying it or even really acting on it. His little head nuzzle to her on the train when she gets nightmares and just all smiley cute when he gave her the pearl. Nothing overstated AT ALL. Just...perfect.

- Totally happy that there was way more kissing than in the books. And I felt like we could FEEL the difference of the beach kiss from the other "show" kisses. God, they got good actors.

- I love how STRESSFUL the movie made me. I watched THG Thursday before going to the movie and the reaping STILL makes me cry. I felt like that was a huge hurdle for the second movie to jump. Although I didn't cry this movie, I definitely responded. District 11 was TERRIBLE. Truly horrific. The ending with the wire and the confusion WAS confusing and scary. Even though I KNEW I was like "Oh my god what is happening!!"

- Those monkeys were scary as shit. Hated that part!

- Ceasar Flickerman. He got so much screen time but there will never be too much screen time.

mandaliz wrote:I thought Catching Fire was very well done (though, in full disclosure, I had to leave 2 or 3 times to go pee during the movie so missed a couple bits).

I agree with the casting choices. I don't understand the Peeta hate. I think Josh is a great Peeta. I was unsure of Finnick because I LOVE him but was trying to be neutral until I saw his performance and I thought he did well. I was more wary of the casting for Joanna but I ended up thinking she did pretty well. I felt bad that Miranda from Sex & the City's housekeeper/Nanny got reaped (Mags).

I totally cried when Katniss & Peeta addressed the families of the tributes in District 11, especially Rue's and then with them killing the old man.

My only issue is not with the movie but with my husband. When Peeta painted a picture of Rue during the personal evaluation before the games I whispered to Mr M, "THAT'S why we're Team Peeta and THAT'S why we are raising our daughter Teem Peeta!" (He's Teem Gale.)

I found myself being all, mmmmmmmm uh oh when things were foreshadowed for the 3rd book/movie.

I give it two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Team Gale?! Whaaa? That's just crazy talk! He's talking crazy! Although I do like Gale and even I was ready to revolt after seeing Gale being whipped. One thing I didn't like was seeing Katniss's mother going to pieces when she was supposed to be treating Gale. How can she teach Prim how to be a healer if she can't do it herself?

Kay Kay wrote:Okay, I saw this on Thursday night at the 8pm "midnight" showing. I feel like I need to see it again, I can't remember it.

I'll start with cons because the list is shorter:- Like any 2nd movie/book of a trilogy, I didn't like being just thrown into it and then abruptly ending. But, that isn't really the movie's fault. - It was SO faithful that it was almost too...much. Like I felt like the director sacrificed pacing and making a normal-feeling movie for the sake of staying true to the book. Thinking back, it felt like I ran for two and a half hours and a lot of what I remember is fuzzy. It was just SO full of everything without any breaks.

- Without Peeta having an artificial leg slowing him down, he really seemed like a useless turd in the arena.

Pros:- Holy shit. That has to be THE most faithful adaptation of any book ever. I mean, they got EVERYTHING didn't they? The only they missed was hinting at District 13 but I also think it was a bigger reveal at the end. (Con, I feel like that HUGE revelation was lost with all the other revelations and then END. I wish it could have been more...absorb-able)

- Jennifer Lawrence is my QUEEN! I love that she brought Katniss' sense of humor to the movie and PTSD. I feel like non-essential personality traits get pushed aside in movies for the sake of plot (*coughEdwardcough*). She is sooooo good. And I believed her falling for Peeta a bit in the movie waaaay more than the books. But I also bought that kissing Gale was natural too. Jennifer can act it better than Suzanne Collins can write it.

- Her faaace

- Josh IS Peeta. He is charming and sweet and honest and loving and you just BELIEVE that he loves Katniss without saying it or even really acting on it. His little head nuzzle to her on the train when she gets nightmares and just all smiley cute when he gave her the pearl. Nothing overstated AT ALL. Just...perfect.

- Totally happy that there was way more kissing than in the books. And I felt like we could FEEL the difference of the beach kiss from the other "show" kisses. God, they got good actors.

- I love how STRESSFUL the movie made me. I watched THG Thursday before going to the movie and the reaping STILL makes me cry. I felt like that was a huge hurdle for the second movie to jump. Although I didn't cry this movie, I definitely responded. District 11 was TERRIBLE. Truly horrific. The ending with the wire and the confusion WAS confusing and scary. Even though I KNEW I was like "Oh my god what is happening!!"

- Those monkeys were scary as shit. Hated that part!

- Ceasar Flickerman. He got so much screen time but there will never be too much screen time.

I already want to see it again, too! Let's go!

I loved that they stayed so true to the books. There were changes here and there, but nothing too major. I felt like the little scenes between Snow and Plutarch brought the moments where you could breathe again before being whipped back into the action.

Oh jeeze! I'd totally forgotten Peeta had a peg leg! He did pretty good for someone who was electrocuted!

I like how both the books and the films do the PTSD thing without being all 'HELLO, WE HAVE PTSD AND IT'S A VERY SERIOUS BIZNISS'. We are left to actually *gasp* come to that conclusion ourselves.

Jennifer obviously rules. Her facial expressions were the best. When the random Victor mouth kissed her and when they announced that the Tributes would be pulled from other Victors and the elevator scene was pretty much exactly how I pictured it.

I want to give Peeta hugs and kisses and a plate of cookies so much. That whole character could have gone so wrong going from that chill that was between them in the beginning to the 'faked' romance to the friendship to the real romance and instead it was so perfect. When he agreed to get married my heart just about broke into a hundred pieces for him. I mean, that's obviously what he wanted, but not like that. UUuugggghhhhh.

I love how this movie sets a completely different tone for the Games, again without bonking you over the head with it. Last movie it was a celebration (except for most of the Tributes) and this time there is such a different feeling. EFFIE'S FACE when she was Reaping Katniss and Peeta again. My heart. And Ceasar! He could probably play every role in the whole movie and be awesome at it, but the confusion and fear that came over his face when the Victors all grasped hands was perfect.

1. THG did do world building, but the scope was SO much smaller in that book, so what they did with the movie was appropriate. I had a good sense of what life was like in District 12 and The Capitol. Though I appreciated seeing more of it, and having our knowledge expanded.

2. Did the author of this thing read the books? The Capitol wasn't humanized until the second book. At least not that I remember. THEY don't lose anyone they love, so it's all just a big game to them. It's not until they actually stand to lose someone that the brutality of the Hunger Games touches them.

3. I'm so glad they recast buttercup, though now I feel bad for the poor black and white kitty who has had to face the Buttercup wrath.

4. I don't like how the author is insinuating that there was no hunger in the first film. There was. Every instruction Katniss was giving when saying goodbye to her loved ones was about how to keep her family from starving. Sorry if you didn't catch on, Blogger! BUT, that scene in CF does really punch you in the face with how vastly different things are in the Capitol than in the outer districts.

5. Oh come ON. THG didn't look so terrible. I will admit I was unimpressed by the costumes in the first chariot ride, but I didn't feel like Ceasar was on a 'ramshackle' stage. THG was a pretty big budget film... it's not like it was some plywood disaster loaned out by the local community theater...

6. The only nudity I missed in THG was when Katniss had to pull off Peeta's pants because it was just too damn funny.

7. I didn't find the action in THG difficult to follow at all, though I am glad the shaky cam is gone.

8. ZERO CHEMISTRY!? Them's fighting words.

9. OH HELL NAW. SOMEONE HOLD MY EARRINGS.

10. Things like the electrified fence, Darius, and the avox are good details in the books, but not especially necessary to tell the story in the movie. SOME things are going to have to be sacrificed and those details can be let go without losing any of the feeling of the movie.

11. Gale gets whipped for a different reason. BFD. I think the blogger may have missed the point of that scene... I thought in the book Gale DID refuse to run away with Katniss because he wanted the join the revolution... am I making that up? That makes more sense to the character other than 'Awwh, she doesn't lurrvvveeee me, I'm going to stay here in this hell hole then!'

12. Did anyone else get confused by Snow's granddaughter?? I was like "WHY IS PRIM IN SNOW'S HOUSE?!"

13. Bonnie and Twill.. again.. again, good foreshadowing in the book, but would have been too heavy-handed for the film, and they weren't really needed.

14. Maybe we'll learn more of Haymitch's backstory in Mockingjay. They should have plenty of time as it's split into two.. I'd guess it would come out when Finnick is revealing how the Victors are essentially passed around as prostitutes.

I still thing THG was a good movie, though I agree that CF was better. But they had to start somewhere, and then build up on it. It's hard to go first. Cut them some slack, Blogger! Sheesh!

my kids and I saw the movie yesterday. I REALLY liked it I know I've been harsh to book Katniss in the past, but I like movie Katniss so much better. I need to see her fighting those emotions that book Katniss doesn't seem to have. my daughter watches the first movie endlessly, and I enjoy it too. going in to this one, I remembered the major plot points but forgot a lot of the little details, so it was basically all new to me (I do the same thing w/the HP books/movies. I forget all the details and really appreciate them being brought to life in the movies so that they become memorable to me)

my daughter hasn't read the books(she's 9). this new movie kind of scared her a little, how the story is progressing into serious business with people dieing, etc. (when they said district 12 was no longer there b/c the gov't destroyed it and killed everyone.) I've hinted to her some of the things that will happen in the story and she's not sure she really wants to see the other two. by that time though she'll be a bit older and it may not bother her as much it did spark a very good conversation afterwards with both kids (my son is 13 and has read all of the books) about what true rebellion is and the consequences that come with it. is your cause worth the negative things that are sure to happen in order to reach your goal? can you sit back and do nothing; in the long run which would be worse? (daughter wanted Katniss & Gale to run away. we then talked about what it would be like living on the run) she didn't like the arena falling apart at the end either, and her and her friend both thought that President Snow's granddaughter was the girl who gave Katniss the Mockingjay pin. it took me looking it up in the book and physically pointing it out for her to quit being so stubborn about it; I don't know where she gets that trait...

my impressions of the movie were very favorable though (truthfully I wouldn't mind seeing it in the theatre again, maybe the second time I won't drink a liter of pop and be so uncomfortable but refuse to go to the bathroom b/c I might miss something ) I didn't like Finnick at the beginning, with his perfect hair and perfect teeth, ugh! but once the games started he grew on me. all of the others were cast very well. I especially enjoyed all of the kissing I agree that Peeta has been perfectly cast from the beginning. I wish Gale wasn't so damn good-looking though. I'm team Petta!

also: Jodie, you said on twitter that there were not previews when you saw it? there were 25 minutes of previews/commercials in our showing I can't say I approved of the trailers shown all that much either "American Hustle" was shown b/c JL is in it, that's okay, I understand that (and it was a relatively harmless trailer) but most of the other trailers were buddy sex comedies, coming of age romances, prostitutes in action, etc. the coming of age trailer showed a teenage girl enticing her boyfriend by slowly lifting her dress up to show her underwear...my daughter hid her face behind her hand and said "well, this is inappropriate" they also showed Divergent and that new Frankenstein trailer too, both more in line with the targeted audience, in my opinion.

kelbel75 wrote:also: Jodie, you said on twitter that there were not previews when you saw it? there were 25 minutes of previews/commercials in our showing I can't say I approved of the trailers shown all that much either "American Hustle" was shown b/c JL is in it, that's okay, I understand that (and it was a relatively harmless trailer) but most of the other trailers were buddy sex comedies, coming of age romances, prostitutes in action, etc. the coming of age trailer showed a teenage girl enticing her boyfriend by slowly lifting her dress up to show her underwear...my daughter hid her face behind her hand and said "well, this is inappropriate" they also showed Divergent and that new Frankenstein trailer too, both more in line with the targeted audience, in my opinion.

Yeesh... I guess they were going for the teenage audience with those trailers instead of the sci-fi/fantasy audience. Brittany and I were actually excited for the trailers because we assumed they'd show a Hobbit one and we wanted to hear deep sexy voices in the big movie speakers... Booooo....

[quote="JodieO"]OK... KK tweeted me this article and it kind of made me all defensive of THG, so I wanted to get out all my words and not be hampered by tweeting... I got really defensive of THG too!!! However, I agree with what he said for CF.

1. THG did do world building, but the scope was SO much smaller in that book, so what they did with the movie was appropriate. I had a good sense of what life was like in District 12 and The Capitol. Though I appreciated seeing more of it, and having our knowledge expanded.

I was impressed with District 12 in both movies! Better than what I pictured. And how are they supposed to Build a World in a movie that only takes place in 3 places hmm??? He's an idiot.

2. Did the author of this thing read the books? The Capitol wasn't humanized until the second book. At least not that I remember. THEY don't lose anyone they love, so it's all just a big game to them. It's not until they actually stand to lose someone that the brutality of the Hunger Games touches them.

3. I'm so glad they recast buttercup, though now I feel bad for the poor black and white kitty who has had to face the Buttercup wrath.

4. I don't like how the author is insinuating that there was no hunger in the first film. There was. Every instruction Katniss was giving when saying goodbye to her loved ones was about how to keep her family from starving. Sorry if you didn't catch on, Blogger! BUT, that scene in CF does really punch you in the face with how vastly different things are in the Capitol than in the outer districts.

I'm glad that they kept that scene too. It's one of the few times we see Peeta as outraged as Katniss instead of infinitely "good" or whatever I'm trying to say.

5. Oh come ON. THG didn't look so terrible. I will admit I was unimpressed by the costumes in the first chariot ride, but I didn't feel like Ceasar was on a 'ramshackle' stage. THG was a pretty big budget film... it's not like it was some plywood disaster loaned out by the local community theater...

Exactly. I LOVED the costumes for this parade too and I remember the biggest complaint of THG were the flames. But I'd hardly call the whole movie low budget. I don't think he's ever seen Twilight so he doesn't know what low budget looks like.

6. The only nudity I missed in THG was when Katniss had to pull off Peeta's pants because it was just too damn funny.

Right??? I love that scene. But elevator Katniss makes up for all missed awkward moments for any movie ever.

7. I didn't find the action in THG difficult to follow at all, though I am glad the shaky cam is gone.

I liked the shaky cam. I feel like it wasn't necessary in CF because nearly everything she does is filmed so we can be a "spectator." But it many parts of THG, we're just WITH Katniss and I liked the intimacy of it. Especially in the opening credits.

8. ZERO CHEMISTRY!? Them's fighting words.

Any lack of chemistry was intentional by JLaw. But I thought Josh BROUGHT IT in the cave.

9. OH HELL NAW. SOMEONE HOLD MY EARRINGS.

10. Things like the electrified fence, Darius, and the avox are good details in the books, but not especially necessary to tell the story in the movie. SOME things are going to have to be sacrificed and those details can be let go without losing any of the feeling of the movie.

11. Gale gets whipped for a different reason. BFD. I think the blogger may have missed the point of that scene... I thought in the book Gale DID refuse to run away with Katniss because he wanted the join the revolution... am I making that up? That makes more sense to the character other than 'Awwh, she doesn't lurrvvveeee me, I'm going to stay here in this hell hole then!'

I thought that too! Doesn't he get all fired up when he heard about rebellion is one of the other districts? The one Katniss overhears in the Mayor's house? Doesn't he shame her a bit when she pretty such says "IDGAF about anyone but us and ours."? I mean, maybe Gale *also* made a lame attempt to trap her into a relationship-type thing that he kept trying to do over and over but that is NOT why he stayed in 12.

12. Did anyone else get confused by Snow's granddaughter?? I was like "WHY IS PRIM IN SNOW'S HOUSE?!"

13. Bonnie and Twill.. again.. again, good foreshadowing in the book, but would have been too heavy-handed for the film, and they weren't really needed.

14. Maybe we'll learn more of Haymitch's backstory in Mockingjay. They should have plenty of time as it's split into two.. I'd guess it would come out when Finnick is revealing how the Victors are essentially passed around as prostitutes.

I think they also set up the edge of the arena enough that the HOW Haymitch won wasn't necessary. In the book, her motivation to try to damage the arena needed more set up. As far as Haymitch being a drunk, I think that can be bumped to the next movie without going into how he won the games. Although I do wish it had been stated what the other two Quells were. They're just too deliciously awful.

I still thing THG was a good movie, though I agree that CF was better. But they had to start somewhere, and then build up on it. It's hard to go first. Cut them some slack, Blogger! Sheesh!haha! I still think THG was perfect. I had more issues with CF it really got so so so much right!

I'm sorry, but Philip Seymour Hoffman is not the worst of anything. I thought he played that part exactly as it should have been. What did they want from him? Winks and nods so the audience would know that he's on the side of the rebellion?

Also, I'm getting sick of reviewers saying things like 'it's about time The Capitol/Effie is shown to be human'. Uhh... has no one ever heard of character development??

FINALLY got to see Catching Fire on Wednesday night. I so need to see it again, just to absorb everything, but I loved every minute of it.

Major points for me:

1. District 11. Snotsobbing 10 minutes into the movie..The anger in the crowd, the old man. The families.

2. Effie. EFFIE! I really felt for her. I LOVED her butterfly dress. Not only because it was so Capitoly but it was very symbolic for Effie. She's caught in something so big and she's terrified and she has NO IDEA what to do.

3. So many of the supporting characters so so much better developed this time around. I didn't mind Katniss' mom losing it with Gale, for movie purposes, I think it's more important that we see Prim stepping up and being competent and grown up. You know, so they can gut us later.

4. Finnick was perfect, I wasn't quite sure if Sam Claflin fit my pictures but he did. Speaking of, I still want Josh to be taller, but I'm much more convinced that he's Peeta now.

5. Johanna was my surprise character, I really wasn't expecting much for some reason and she was awesome. As were Nuts and Volts. And Mags *sniffle*

6. Pretty much everything thing else, because it was that good. Definitely the best book to movie adaptation I've seen, ever.

kelbel75 wrote:also: Jodie, you said on twitter that there were not previews when you saw it? there were 25 minutes of previews/commercials in our showing I can't say I approved of the trailers shown all that much either "American Hustle" was shown b/c JL is in it, that's okay, I understand that (and it was a relatively harmless trailer) but most of the other trailers were buddy sex comedies, coming of age romances, prostitutes in action, etc. the coming of age trailer showed a teenage girl enticing her boyfriend by slowly lifting her dress up to show her underwear...my daughter hid her face behind her hand and said "well, this is inappropriate" they also showed Divergent and that new Frankenstein trailer too, both more in line with the targeted audience, in my opinion.

Yeesh... I guess they were going for the teenage audience with those trailers instead of the sci-fi/fantasy audience. Brittany and I were actually excited for the trailers because we assumed they'd show a Hobbit one and we wanted to hear deep sexy voices in the big movie speakers... Booooo....

I finally saw it today. I liked it! REALLY glad shaky cam is gone!!! I think I would like to re-read the book. I had forgotten so much (like those monkeys!!). That book came out 4 years ago!! I agree that movie Katniss is so much more likable than Book Katniss.I love Peeta/Josh. Always have.

amynkansas wrote:I finally saw it today. I liked it! REALLY glad shaky cam is gone!!! I think I would like to re-read the book. I had forgotten so much (like those monkeys!!). That book came out 4 years ago!! I agree that movie Katniss is so much more likable than Book Katniss.I love Peeta/Josh. Always have.

BOO! I'm so jealous you got a Hobbit trailer! The second time I saw CF I got a bunch of dumb trailers. Divergent (meh for me, too), the sequel to 300, which for some reason is not called 301, and some other dumb looking killing type movie. OH! And Frankenstein, who, for some reason, is now an action hero.

amynkansas wrote:I finally saw it today. I liked it! REALLY glad shaky cam is gone!!! I think I would like to re-read the book. I had forgotten so much (like those monkeys!!). That book came out 4 years ago!! I agree that movie Katniss is so much more likable than Book Katniss.I love Peeta/Josh. Always have.

BOO! I'm so jealous you got a Hobbit trailer! The second time I saw CF I got a bunch of dumb trailers. Divergent (meh for me, too), the sequel to 300, which for some reason is not called 301, and some other dumb looking killing type movie. OH! And Frankenstein, who, for some reason, is now an action hero.

I forgot...they also showed the Noah trailer...with Emma Watson and Russell Crow. I had no idea this movie was being made.